$95 million may not mean a ton to Apple these days, but this is still awkward.
Following a lawsuit brought against the company five years ago in which Apple was hit with a lawsuit over ‘unlawful and intentional recording’ of Siri interactions, the case has reached an end, with Apple agreeing to pay $95 million in a settlement.
According to Reuters, Apple’s years-long legal battle over Siri recordings is ending in a settlement. The U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White still has to approve the settlement in Oakland, California federal court, but it was submitted with Apple’s agreement Tuesday night.
Plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit alleged that Apple had recorded conversations without offering their consent. These conversations were later shared with third-party services which led to targeted ads. All of this was related to the ‘Hey Siri’ voice activation feature.
Class action lawsuit members, which are estimated to be in the tens of millions may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple has denied any wrongdoing via the settlement.
The case led to the following changes:
– An internal review of Siri-related practices, including the use of contractors
– New permission prompts for Siri audio recording on Apple devices
and a privacy system you’re likely well acquainted with: ’Ask App Not to Track’
– Apple’s implemented changes over the years nonetheless have not constituted an admission of guilt, and today’s settlement doesn’t either.
No details are available yet as to how users can claim their stake in the payout.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.